3 Ways To Play Up Your Strengths And Weaknesses In A Job Interview

We’ve all been there. Interviewing for a new job is nerve-wracking. Not only do you have to make a good impression right off the bat, but you need to convince your potential employer why they should pick you over someone else. In most cases, you only have anywhere from five minutes to an hour to really sell them on hiring you. And you can count on being asked about your strengths and weaknesses in a job interview. If you always freeze up at this part, you’re not alone.

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The 3 Most Effective Ways To Share Your Strengths And Weaknesses In A Job Interview:

Think About Them Beforehand

What are your best and worst qualities when it comes to your professional life?

The best way to identify your best and worst traits is to look back on your past jobs and evaluate your performance. What went well, and what didn’t? What could you possibly improve? And what was something you excelled at? Prepare for any curveball questions your interviewer might ask you. While you’re at it, you might as well check your background, too. You’ll have an idea of what employers will learn about you before you meet with them in person. If your background has something out of the ordinary (whether it’s good or bad), you should be ready to talk about it.

Be Honest, But Not Too Honest

You need to determine what’ll set you apart from other candidates interviewing for the same job.

Do yourself a favor – don’t lie during your interview. Chances are, your interviewer will be able to tell if you do. After all, no one’s perfect, and everyone has at least one weakness (even Oprah). So, the best thing you can do is be honest (and humble!) about your strengths and weaknesses, and how you can overcome them. Have your best qualities and flaws made you grow as a person? What about as an employee? That’s what employers want to hear.

A Few Common Interview Weakness Examples:

You used to run late until your supervisor talked with you about how it negatively impacted your performance. Now, you make sure you’re 10 minutes early for every shift and meeting

You only have experience with older software and programs. However, you’re willing to learn and spend your free time researching your industry to learn more skills.

Sometimes you miss the finer details when completing your work. But at your past job, your colleague showed you how to review your work with a fine-tooth comb before turning it in. You now apply this skill to any task you complete.

Tell A Story From Your Past Job(s)

What’s one of the most effective ways to show off your strengths and weaknesses in a job interview? Tell a story. You can really engage your potential employer when you not only identify your strengths and weaknesses, but give actual examples of how they played into your work performance. How did your biggest strength help you complete one of your tasks? And vice versa, did working on a project with your colleagues help you conquer one of your weaknesses? These are all important things to consider.

Of course, you can’t just stroll into your interview with perfectly rehearsed answers. That’d be too easy. So, you have to be confident and ready to roll with the punches. No matter what, you need to let your interviewer know that you’re qualified to perform the job you’re applying for. Good luck, and happy job hunting!

I’m the resident geek of Grapevine who likes to write about the things I love—which is almost everything! Seriously. I love movies, sports—and movies about sports—tech, sci-fi, playing Xbox, jamming on guitar, hanging with my buddies, eating nachos, and drinking beers. Good beers. Not that horrible mainstream light stuff.